£3 million government boost for stem cells
pharmafile | March 26, 2015 | News story | Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | NHS Blood and Transplant, Stem cells, UK, george freeman, government
The UK government will invest £3 million to further improve the provision of stem cells in the UK which will help patients with leukaemia and other life-threatening blood disorders.
The cash will go towards supporting the partnership between NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) and blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan.
The funding will be used to increase the number of young adult stem cell donors – particularly those from ethnic minority backgrounds, of whom are currently under-represented.
The news follows a report on UK stem cell transplantation published by NHSBT which states that more patients in the UK are receiving stem cell transplants than ever before. Figures from the review calculate there were around 258 more in 2013 than three years previously.
Minister for life sciences George Freeman said this week: “This funding is vital to help improve stem cell services and ultimately save lives. It will increase the number of young male donors and allow a targeted collection of cord blood from those groups who currently find it difficult to find a suitable match.”
Andrew Hadley, who is the general manager of specialist services operations at NHSBT, says: “By 2020 we hope to have 150,000 adult stem cell donors typed to a high resolution which will reduce not only the time it takes to match patients with donors, but for people in desperate need of a transplant to receive lifesaving treatment.”
The government has also published a separate report outlining the important role that funding stem cell services can make in helping to save lives. ‘Building on our own potential: a UK pathway for regenerative medicine’ also reveals plans to put the UK at the forefront of the application of regenerative medicine.
The chief executive of Anthony Nolan, Henny Braund, concludes: “The injection of additional funding from the Department of Health is most welcome and will make a considerable difference in helping us save more lives. It will enable us to increase the number and quantity of stem cells available for transplant.”
Tom Robinson
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